Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-18
WEALTH OF CALIFORNIA.
Cotton Marble Mountain Yield-
inr Hin Its Treasures.

-
ing UP Its Treasures.
All those intelligent prospectors who
investigate the apparently waste places
of Southern California are surprised at
the hidden wealth which can be found
in the most barren and forbidding To-
calities. Barren and bleak rocks on
which vegetation has never grown since
the ages of the Oldest traditions have
proved to be scanned and interpenetrated
with vast wealth Of gold, silver and
other metals of great commercial value.
A notable instance OF this fact is seen
in the well.known Slower mountain, in
Cotton, San Bernardino county. That
apparently useless protuberance on the
surface of the earth, where only the ro.
bust artemisia and the heather in di'
minutive form can be seen in the clefts
of its rocks, which form home for the
sw;ft.pliding lizard and the lurking cen.
tipede, used to be looked upon as nui-
sance on the face of the earth, and de-
yout old Californians hoped that some
kind earthquake would swallow it and
leave its place for raising watermelons
and ch le colorado.
But the swift flying wheels of time
have wrought wonderful transforma-
tion. These rude, unproductive rocks,
that seemed to remain to reflect the
burning sunshine and intensity the heat
of the air, blind the sight of the trav-
eler and stand as defiance to human
energy, have been made to yield to the
force of the human mind, anu submit to
the will and enhance the wealth OF man-
kind. An examination of these mon
strous, defiant rocks, shows that they
consist of crystallized limestone of rare
pure quality, and of various shades OF
color, besides vein of fine marble tor
sculpture.
By the politeness and favor of the Col
ton Marble Lime Company representa-
tive OF the HERALD was permitted to ex.
anime the works of this great corpora
ton, on the south side of Slower
mountain. Guided by Mr.. w. S. Will
con, Superintendent of the works, and
Messrs. o. T. and L. L. Dyer, of the
directory of the company, he was shown
I'LL WOTk5 vi tAO COihPahyt WAtSu aAS
immense and very interesting.
The corporation is presided over by
Mr.. w. II. Wright, President, with
Mr.. Wilson as Secretary.
But all the stock kholders seem to be
actively engaged in developing the vast
wealth of this rugged and opulent
mountain. The rock is shining, crys-
tallize limestone, mainly white, but
vast lodges of it are gray, mottled or
black, making beautiful marble that
takes an excellent polish. The rock
has been riven by some great cataclysm
of nature into immense masses OF rec
tangular shape, 80 that the work
of quarrying is made easy, and
the long paralielopipedons are easily
split into slabs or shafts of any required
size or length for architectural or monu.
mental purposes without the use OF pow
der.
Powder is used to dislodge the ledgss
on the mountain side and send the great
ma ses down and out where they can be
wrought into all needful purposes. for
window-sills, caps. door trimmings, yes.
tibules, mausoleums, monuments, side.
walks and other purposes.
Tho white rock is largely used in the
manufacture of lime of q very superior
quality. The company erected its first
perpetual kiln three years ago, and has
kept its fires in continual G low ever since,
turning out about fifty, five barrels daily of
the wbitest and purest of lime. The next
kiln, put up last year, is massive and
complete. From it's fiery heart, from
hour to hour, comes forth great. glowing
masses of molten rock, before which no
mortal can stand except with hood
closed around his head and large wet
sponge fastened over his mouth, to pre-
vent the inhalation of the burning air.
This kiln turns out from sixty to ninety
barrels per day.
In addition to this production the
company is now erecting two large kilns
that will turn out 200 barrels per day,
making 800 barrels daily, worth 5000
This will make an income of $2l9, 600
annually from piece of earth that was
q few years ago not worth assessing for
taxation. In fact, it had no commercial
value.
East of these great factories the COM
pany has opened four great quarries OF
beautiful marble OF almost every
hue, in which the supply is good
for millennium of years. The Gal.
ifornia Southern Railroad Company will
lay q track from Cotton around the
south side of the mountain. just below
the quarries and kilns, SO that cars can
be loaded by sliding the stone and lime
down an inclined plane with no use of
team or lifting machinery. 1t is now
contemplated to erect large marble
hotel Oh the town of the mountain.
Such q mass of lime and marble on
mountain side, SO easy of access. is not
recorded in industrial history. It's value
would make arithmetic weary to calcu-
late, and insures a permanent business
for Cotton and it's railway lines for ages